reach for

phrasal verb

reached for; reaching for; reaches for

: to move one's hand in order to get or touch (someone or something)

She reached for the salt and pepper.

He reached into his pocket for a dime.

: to try hard to achieve or succeed at (something)

Success won't come to you, you have to reach for it.

Examples of reach for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Luis Carrillo, attorney for the family, could not be reached for comment. —

Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024 Beardsley could not be reached for comment ahead of publication. —

Danielle Bacher, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024 Lim reaches for Rital Date by Versatile Paris for an ultimate embodiment of the trend. —

Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024 Neither the Coast Guard sector nor Carnival Cruise Line could immediately be reached for comment. —

Christina Coulter, Fox News, 22 Apr. 2024 For a gel option reach for the Madam Glam gel nail polish in Matty. —

Annie Blay, Allure, 18 Apr. 2024 No one else with Robinson’s family could be reached for comment. —

Antonio Planas, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024 Dukes could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. —

Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2024 Neither Gray nor a representative were reached for comment. —

Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reach for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.